She is a 2 year old female spayed Dalmation. She is a rescue dog I just got her in August. She is fine with the dogs she knows, just new dogs. I will also mention she has been attacked by other dogs. Thankfully not seriously.

BrunosMom

February 12th, 2003, 08:07 AM

There is a training technique that was taught to me by a fellow pit bull owner, and it works wonders. As you probably know, pit bulls #1 problem is dog aggression because historically they were bred for dog fighting. It's called " Bar Open" "Bar Closed" when you are walking your dog, and you see (and your dog sees another dog) feed treats over and over again (aka Bar Open) until the dog is out of site. Once the dog is out of site, stop feeding treats (aka bar Closed). Your dog will start to associate that everytime a new dog is around it's a VERY positive thing.

I'm sure if it can work on rescued pit bulls who were abused by their past owners by putting them in dog fights, then it can work on a Dalmation. :)

Good luck!

Kellie

February 12th, 2003, 09:08 AM

Thank You!! How old is your Pitbull? and is it a he or she?:) :D

Kellie

February 12th, 2003, 09:26 AM

Doh Doh !! Sorry of course he's a male. :o

BrunosMom

February 12th, 2003, 10:50 AM

Oh I have more then one, Bruno is just top dog in my house :)

Kellie

February 13th, 2003, 08:01 AM

How many pet friends do you have?

BrunosMom

February 13th, 2003, 08:17 AM

5 of my own

and whenever i get fosters in, it adds to the number :)

-Sara

Kellie

February 13th, 2003, 08:28 AM

Fostering is great. I wish I could. Sketch my Dalmatian came from a wonderful foster family. I keep in touch just to let them know how she is. I wish I could foster but I know I would become too attached. PS I started with the bar open and bar closed I will let you know Sketch's progress thank you again.

Kellie

February 13th, 2003, 08:30 AM

I forgot to ask are all your dogs Pitbulls? :)

BrunosMom

February 13th, 2003, 01:25 PM

2 of my permanant dogs are pit bulls, 1 is a chow - 2 are cats :)

all of em are rescues :)

fostering is very rewarding, the hardest one to give up is always the first one... then it gets better :)

It's very rewarding in the sense that you just saved a life... actully 2 - the dog that you took in, and it opens an extra spot at the shelter for another dog.

I'm excited to hear how the "Bar training" works with your furkid! :)

-Sara

Kellie

February 17th, 2003, 09:18 AM

I've started the Bar Training. When she acts up I say NO and give her a command of sit & stay until the dog walks by and I have been giving her bits of carrot since my Vet wants her on a vegetarian diet. She will do just about anything for a carrot. It is hard with the weather being so cold we are not out too long. :)

andria

March 4th, 2003, 08:12 PM

Hi BrunosMom,

What should I do if my dog is so fixated on surrounding dogs that she won't eat the treats? Just work on my dog-eyes and start from farther and father away? I am assuming that's the deal - maybe I have been spotting them and starting the Bar Open when we're too close, and she's too distracted?

Usually she is SUPER food motivated - but if there's an appealing enough distraction, food takes second place for her. I will say that she's not aggressive with 75% of dogs - it's only about 25% that will set her off - but she is very excitable (usually she just wants to play) around other dogs and I want to keep her under control and focused on me, regardless.

Any suggestions?

Cheers
Andria

lylag

March 13th, 2003, 12:54 AM

Hi,

I would suggest feeding the dog AFTER these walks so that the food is a stronger motivator.

Also I would pay closer attention to the dogs body language. The SECOND she gets excited you must give the food and loads of praise.

Lylag

hillariep

April 6th, 2004, 09:16 PM

Dear Brunosmom:

I assume the open bar strategy may work for aggression towards children as well. Do you have any other suggestions? My lab-mix is very snarly and jumpy around any child. Or people on bikes, or in wheelchairs....

I will start the open bar technic for now until I hear more.
Thanks!

Lucky Rescue

April 7th, 2004, 12:18 AM

Hi BrunosMom! I have a pit bull too, and do something similiar to what you do.

I took my dog through obedience school. When I see a dog in the distance, I put her in a "heel' and use the command "Watch me". If she is good while the other dog passes - praise and treats.

If she breaks the "heel" she gets corrected, but NOT for pulling towards the other dog, but for breaking the command.

This works very well for us, because now she knows that when she sees other dogs, she'll get cookies and praise.:)

Kellie - my Vet wants her on a vegetarian diet:confused:

amaruq

April 7th, 2004, 09:31 AM

I have a rescue Dal too. Has been quite a handful. Her face was smasked when she was hit by a car. She never had it repaired so her face is kind of wonky.

Lots of Patience with this breed. Also realize they are highly territorial. When we go to the off leash park she is bell of the ball let me tell you.

rn4kids7901

October 30th, 2006, 08:19 PM

I have a rescued dachshund that I was told did not like children. It turns out that he does not like anyone that isn't family. He is 7 years old, and has been neutered for the last 2 years. Whenever anyone comes over, even if he has met them before, he will bark, growl and snarl. I have to tell people to stand very still and not try to touch him until he is through. If they try to pet him, he will bite hard enough to draw blood. Once he is through barking and snarling, he will jump in their lap and be their best friend. How can I stop him from doing this? I'm glad that he won't let outsiders hurt us, but the fact that he won't let friends visit is a problem.

mafiaprincess

October 30th, 2006, 08:23 PM

Might want to start a thread of your own. This one is from 2003. You'd get more replies that way :)

Joey.E.CockersMommy

October 30th, 2006, 08:38 PM

Hey but its a cool thread I might try it with Joey - he is very food driven - :D

Joey.E.CockersMommy

October 30th, 2006, 08:41 PM

Here is what I found

This technique is based on the conditioned response to teach your dog that other dogs are a joy to be around. The idea is that when another leashed dog is present the bar is open, meaning that wonderful things happen. When the other dog leaves then the bar closes and all those wonderful things disappear. Here is how to make it work for your dog:

Choose a spot where other dogs pass by with some frequency. Make sure you are well stocked with your dog's favorite treats and rewards.
As soon as a dog comes into sight the bar is open. You flood your dog with treats, play things and attention. When the dog goes out of sight the bar closes and all the fun stuff gets put away. Ignore your dog (while standing on his leash) for at least a couple of minutes or at least until the next dog comes by.
As the next dog comes into sight the bar opens back up again, when the dog goes the bar closes.
As you repeat this over and over, it will teach your dog in no uncertain terms that other dogs mean good things. Which will in turn help your dog to enjoy being around them more.
A important part of the open baróclosed bar technique is that the bar is always open when another dog is present even if your dog is barking, jumping or otherwise acting uncontrollable. You are not trying to teach him to behave but rather to react well to the presence of other dogs.

All leash related bad habits take time to overcome and will require all your skills as a trainer. If you don't teach and continually practice your dog in the art of good leash manners he will simply revert back to his previous way of acting.

Given enough love, training and practice your dog can learn to become a wonderful well mannered dog who is a pleasure to take with you anywhere.

:D

pitgrrl

October 31st, 2006, 04:07 PM

Here is what I found

I think it's worth adding to this, since I don't think it was mentionned anywhere, that if the dog gets so focused on whatever it's reacting to, you need to move back and find the dog's threshold. By this I mean, find the distance at which the dog can see the other dog, but is not so wound up that they cannot accept treats.
As you make progress, you can close the distance between your dog and others until you're able to pass a dog on the street, for example, without having a little doggie hissy fit.

FlynnMB

January 5th, 2007, 07:25 AM

I wonder if anyone can help me, I got a puppy last March whose mother was a pure bred cocker and the father was a border collie he was 5 weeks old when I got him, he is now 11 months old and is a lovely family pet, we love him & he loves us. He is very aggressive to anyone who is not within the immediate family. He ran after my mother snarling and he bit her on the ankle, he didn't break the skin, it was, what I call, a gummy bite but my mother (who is 72) was terrified, children and the postman is terrified. What do I do? 'Cause I love him so much. His name is Hector

Hunter's_owner

January 5th, 2007, 07:30 AM

I would suggest some socialization and obedience classes.

Since you got him at such a young age (puppies shouldn't be taken at 5 weeks) the puppy lacks what they would have learned if they stayed with the mother and litter.

FlynnMB

January 5th, 2007, 07:36 AM

I know he was too young when I got him but the owner of the mother couldn't stand the sight of the mongrel puppies and gave them to the Irish Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals where I got him I live in a very rural area of Ireland so classes are out of the question as there are none! Is there anything that I can do?

Hunter's_owner

January 5th, 2007, 07:43 AM

I'm not sure. Maybe someone else will offer some advice, as I have never dealt with an agressive puppy before. Sorry:(

Scott_B

January 5th, 2007, 07:43 AM

Yup. Great advice posted above. Maybe get a behaviorist in and get some advice from them. But Obedience is a great idea. Biting people is a BIG no no!

FlynnMB

January 5th, 2007, 03:47 PM

Hi

Thanks for advice, the doorbell rang today & he started his barking/snarling I told him to sit and stay & he did, but it was just my son so I don't know what he would have done if it was anyone who was not immediate family.

Thank you for your advice

Regards

mary

Micky

January 5th, 2007, 11:20 PM

I have a spayed male miniature poodle who is 9 years old I think he may be getting more aggressive as he gets older as he wasnt when he was younger. The other day he bit me on the hand quite hard when I was about to undo his harness and his food was nearby. He also growls and snaps at younger children and dogs and I'm afraid that if he bites a child he will have to be put down. Does anyone know how to please help me?

Spirit

January 6th, 2007, 12:32 AM

I think it's worth adding to this, since I don't think it was mentionned anywhere, that if the dog gets so focused on whatever it's reacting to, you need to move back and find the dog's threshold. By this I mean, find the distance at which the dog can see the other dog, but is not so wound up that they cannot accept treats.
As you make progress, you can close the distance between your dog and others until you're able to pass a dog on the street, for example, without having a little doggie hissy fit.

This is very true (and effective).

I also want to add that when training, it's important to keep your goal in mind. If you want a calm submissive dog, make sure he/she sits calmly before flooding with treats (and flood in a calm manner). Otherwise you risk replacing the agressive behavior with an excited one (hense creating a whole other problem). Remember, agression is a form of excitement (in a manner of speaking). Neither emotion results in a calm state of mind.

pitgrrl

January 6th, 2007, 09:20 AM

I have a spayed male miniature poodle who is 9 years old I think he may be getting more aggressive as he gets older as he wasnt when he was younger. The other day he bit me on the hand quite hard when I was about to undo his harness and his food was nearby. He also growls and snaps at younger children and dogs and I'm afraid that if he bites a child he will have to be put down. Does anyone know how to please help me?

I wonder if anyone can help me, I got a puppy last March whose mother was a pure bred cocker and the father was a border collie he was 5 weeks old when I got him, he is now 11 months old and is a lovely family pet, we love him & he loves us. He is very aggressive to anyone who is not within the immediate family. He ran after my mother snarling and he bit her on the ankle, he didn't break the skin, it was, what I call, a gummy bite but my mother (who is 72) was terrified, children and the postman is terrified. What do I do? 'Cause I love him so much. His name is Hector

Not to be nit-picky, but I think it's important to differentiate between animal/dog aggression and human aggression. The original post was about dog aggression, which people provided good solutions and/or management suggestions for.

The following posts however, deal with human aggression, a potentially much more serious problem, not only for the person getting bitten, but the dog and owner. Personally, I wouldn't be relying on forums and cookies in those kind of situations, I would be getting a full vet check (if the behavior was new) to make sure nothing medical was going on and then making an appointment with a behaviorist ASAP.

Prin

January 6th, 2007, 01:12 PM

The following posts however, deal with human aggression, a potentially much more serious problem, not only for the person getting bitten, but the dog and owner. Personally, I wouldn't be relying on forums and cookies in those kind of situations, I would be getting a full vet check (if the behavior was new) to make sure nothing medical was going on and then making an appointment with a behaviorist ASAP.Great point, Pitgrrl.:thumbs up

FlynnMB

January 7th, 2007, 12:54 PM

Hi Pitgrrl

I don't know why you think it's nit-picky it's a problem, admittedly more urgent than fighting with other dogs, but this isn't the only place I have gone for help, I have contacted a behaviourist and a vet and they will be getting back to me. This happened only 3 days ago.

Regards

FlynnMB

January 7th, 2007, 01:23 PM

The behaviourist got back to me and she says that it is the mixed breed I'll quote

"Being the breed he is , he is a dog that was bred to chase. Collies are also very territorial. It is very important that he is put away when someone is arriving to or leaving the house. It should never be his concern who enters or leaves the property. If you are very concerned I would travel to see you in wexford. The cost would be 250 euro for an hour and a half session."

Should I call her in for help or is this poppycock?

bevap

August 14th, 2008, 01:12 PM

Hello
All of the advice given sounds great! I am going to try the Bar open-bar closed technique on my aggressive little guy. He never has gotten along with other dogs at all. he is 4 yrs old. Is there anything special that I need to do for a smaller dog?

pitgrrl

August 14th, 2008, 01:24 PM

I don't think the size of dog makes any difference, but re-reading this thread, it strikes me that the discussion, my posts included, sort of make it sound as if dog aggression is a black and white issue, which I think is misleading.

I'll use my own dog as an example. He was very reactive around other dogs, meaning he'd see a dog and flip out. Doing what has been described previously in this thread we made huge improvements to that point that he can go for walks in a pretty dog filled neighbourhood and remain calm.

Having gotten him, for the most part, over his reactivity, I now have a better idea of where he stands in terms of his dog tolerance. He can actually get along fine with quite a few dogs, mostly puppies, or calmer adult dogs. He has a very low tolerance, however, for pushy, overtly dominant or very boisterous adult dogs, even more so when they're large and male. This doesn't mean he can't walk by them, but I make it my business to protect his bubble of personal space.

My point in all this long windedness, is that I've found it more useful and accurate to talk about a spectrum of dog tolerance rather than just DA or not and to look at dog reactivity and/or leash reactivity as a distinct, though possibly connected, issue as well. Hopefully this is more useful than confusing :laughing: